Dick Doumeng of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, died Nov. 19 of natural causes resulting from pulmonary fibrosis. He was born on Long Island, N.Y., to a jewelry business family and made an early career in sales with Elgin and Hamilton Watch Companies.
In 1969, Dick moved to St. Thomas and launched Aquaminiums, a charter houseboat venture. Following that he became a partner with Bolongo Beach Hotel in 1974. And so began a life-long love of the hotel business and the island of St. Thomas. He was an idea man, known for his use of yellow pads and flare pens to script his themes and dreams.
Dick was a big fan of all sports, a student of politics, and a man who cared about his family, his employees and his community. He enjoyed his pet dogs and cats, and found comfort in his Christian faith.
Dick is survived by his wife, Joyce. Also left to mourn are his former wife, Audrey Sammis, and their children: Richard (Katarina) Doumeng of St. Thomas and son Mikael; Laura Doumeng of Jupiter, Florida; Paul (Colleen) Doumeng of St. Thomas and children Danielle, Nicole and Jonathan; David (Patricia) Doumeng of Los Angeles, Calif. and children Dylan, Dominique and Charlotte; and Maria (Jack) Livingston of Grove City, Penn. and children Noah and Jessica. He is also survived by special nephew, Scott (Iselah) Nieboer of St. Thomas and their children Destiny, Dimitri, Samantha and Malakai.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to:
Boys and Girls Club
Oswald Harris Court Community Center
St. Thomas, VI 00801
Lucky Paws Foundation
PO Box 8209
St. Thomas, VI 00801
Or a charity of your choice.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, December 1, 2012 from 2-5 p.m. at Iggies at Bolongo Bay.